What plants can you grow upside down?

Most plants can be grown upside down, but those which benefit the most include:

Tomatoes;

Peppers;

Eggplants;

Cucumbers;

Squash;

Beans;

Various herbs.

If you want to get the most out of your available space, you can consider planting herbs at the top of the hanging pots instead of planting them separately.

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Benefits of upside down gardening

Upside down gardening presents benefits to those with gardens as well as those without, however, the advantages are more apparent in urban environments.

Pests – As the plants don’t come into contact with the ground there is a much, much smaller chance that they will be affected by pests such as aphids.

Space – This is the biggest benefit offered by upside down gardening, you don’t need a garden or a lot of space.

Rot/disease resistance – Another advantage of the plant not touching the ground is that the roots, stems, and fruit are less susceptible to rotting or contracting a disease.

Staking – Since the plants grow downwards you don’t need to stake them to optimise growth.

Weeding – Growing plants traditionally requires a lot of time and attention, most of which is taken up by the need to weed.

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What you need to get started

Upside-down gardening of tomato

Creating your personal hanging garden of Babylon does require some supplies and a little bit of work, but it will be worth it when you can eat hand grown produce.

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What you need:

A strong hook

Strong string or metal wire

A 7.5cm (six inch) circle of foam or sponge

Lightweight soil or compost

A large bucket

A sharp knife

A marker pen

A tray to catch water

A young plant

When you have collected your supplies simply follow the steps below:

1. Find the sunniest area of your home and mark the ceiling where the pots will be,

2. Install the hook,

3. Now turn your bucket upside down and draw a 5cm (2 inches) circle in the centre,

4. Using the knife, carefully cut around the circle to make a hole,

5. Turn the bucket back around and make three evenly spaced holes roughly 2.5cm (1 inch) down from the lip of the bucket,

6. Tie the string or metal wire through each hole to make three loops that are the same size,

7. Cut a 1.75cm (half an inch) hole in the middle of the sponge (or foam) then cut a line running from the hole to the outside,

8. Place the bucket on its side and carefully thread the roots through the hole in the bottom, make sure the plant is on the outside of the bucket,

9. Secure the plant by placing the sponge (or foam) around the base of the plant inside the bucket,

10. Have someone hold the bucket off of the ground and add soil until it is roughly half full,

11. Water until the soil is moist,

12. Add more soil until the bucket is roughly three quarters full,

13. Hang the bucket,

14. Place the water catcher beneath the bucket,

15. Water the plant again until the new soil is also moist.

The great thing about using buckets instead of large plant pots is that you can decorate the buckets.

Take this opportunity to release your inner artist and introduce some bright colours or funky designs to your home.

Decorating the buckets and creating a hanging kitchen garden is an enjoyable, learning activity for teaching children about where food comes from as well as how to care for plants.

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Caring for an upside down garden

Looking after your new hanging garden is quite easy since you don’t have to worry about weeds or pests. All you need to do is:

Remove any dead or dying leaves;

Water the plants daily during hot, dry periods;

Water every other day during the rest of the year;

Harvest any ripe fruit and vegetables.

So there it is your guide on how to grow a hanging kitchen garden. With this style of urban gardening, you’ll be eating home-grown fruit and veg in no time, regardless of whether you have a garden or not.

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This is a guest post provided by Fantastic Gardeners, a garden maintenance and landscaping company, based in London and Manchester, United Kingdom.